SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will make a state visit to France from Sunday to Wednesday as Seoul and Paris mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.
Lee will travel at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, completing reciprocal state visits just five months after Macron came to Seoul in April, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said at a briefing.
The trip will begin in southern France, where Lee and Macron will co-chair the Lumière Summit, an international gathering on the future of film and moving images, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence on Monday.
The summit will bring together political leaders, policymakers and film-industry figures to discuss challenges facing the global screen industry, including artificial intelligence, financing and competition from new digital platforms.
Seoul said Lee's role as co-chair would also provide an opportunity to promote Korean content and expand opportunities for Korean companies in European and global markets.
Lee will then begin the bilateral portion of his state visit in Paris on Tuesday, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe before attending an official welcoming ceremony.
He and Macron will hold a private luncheon at the Élysée Palace, followed by an expanded summit involving delegations from both countries.
The talks are expected to focus on security and economic cooperation as well as advanced industries including artificial intelligence, space, nuclear energy and biotechnology.
Lee will also attend a South Korea-France business roundtable involving about 20 companies from the two countries before joining a state dinner hosted by Macron and his wife at the Élysée Palace.
On Wednesday, Lee is scheduled to meet French National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet, attend a luncheon with members of the Korean community in France and meet OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann.
Wi said the visit is intended to deepen the Global Strategic Partnership established when Macron visited Seoul in April and broaden South Korea's diplomatic engagement with Europe.
France is the European Union's second-largest economy, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and this year's G7 chair.
Seoul also sees room for greater cooperation between companies and research institutions in AI, space, nuclear energy and biotechnology, as well as expanded exchanges involving young people and scientists.
Lee and Macron first met on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada in June 2025, shortly after Lee took office, and met again at the G20 summit in Johannesburg in November. Macron made a state visit to Seoul in April this year, when the two leaders agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a Global Strategic Partnership. They also met during the G7 summit in Évian, France, in June.
AJP Takeaways
- President Lee Jae Myung will make a state visit to France from Sunday to Wednesday as South Korea and France celebrate 140 years of diplomatic relations in 2026.
- Lee and French President Emmanuel Macron will co-chair the Lumière Summit before holding bilateral talks in Paris focused on AI, space, nuclear energy and biotechnology.
- The visit builds on increasingly close Lee-Macron ties, including Macron’s April state visit to Seoul, when the two countries agreed to elevate relations to a Global Strategic Partnership.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.